Swingletree and trace connection.



W. A. STINSON.

SWINGLETREE AND TRACE CONNECTION.

} APPLICATION-FILED SEPT 28, 1909.

955 ,6 1 3, Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

a qwuwm Wmam WILLIAM A. STINSON, OF GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI SWINGLETREE AND TRACE ooNNEorIoN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

mated Apr. 19, 1910.

Application filed September 28, 1909. Serial No. 520,016.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SrINsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenwood, in the county of Leflore and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swingletree and Trace Connections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to swingletree and trace connections.

It is common to provide swingletrees with spring connections adapted to be compressed upon the application of the trace thereto, which springs snap back into normal position after the trace has been positioned for the purpose of preventing accidental disconnection of the trace from the swingletree. It is common to form swingletrees peculiarly to prevent accidental displacement of the traces.

The spring connections referred to are not altogether practical, because of breakage, complications and other defects, which render them otherwise unsatisfactory. In cases where the swingletree has a peculiar formation, the application of an entirely new swingletree is necessary in the event of breakage, and even where the swingletrees are of peculiar formation, it is generally necessary to provide other means of some sort for association with the swingletrees to prevent accidental displacement of the traces.

In the present instance, I provide an exceedingly simple fastening, which may be readily applied to any type of swingletree and quickly removed, if desired, all without aflecting the strength of the swingletree and without marring the appearance thereof.

Another object resides in the provision of an exceedingly simple button connection which may be applied to any type of swingletree and which, when applied, will not be subject to breakage, disconnection, or inconvenience to the person applying or removing the traces from the swingletrees and yet prevent accidental displacement of the traces.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion, size and minor details Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is "a top plan view of a portion of one end of a swingletree illustrating the trace applied thereto in position as not to become accidentally disconnected from the swingletree. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a modified form of button.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference character 1 indicates a portion of a swingletree into the back of which is screwed the screw threaded shank 2 of a button 3, it being understood that one of these buttons 3 is to be used at each end of the swingletree.

Swingletrees usually taper toward their ends, as may be gathered from the accompanying illustration, but in any event, the ends of the swingletrees are usually comparatively small so that the opening I of a trace 5 may be readily slipped over the ends of the swingletree.

In the present instance, the head of the button 3 disposed adjacent the extremity of the swingletree is rounded, so that the opening l may be readily slipped over the same. The inner side 6 of the button 3 is preferably fiat and straight so as to provide a shoulder against which the inner end of the trace may rest, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 and by virtue of which the trace is not sub ject to accidental disconnection from the swingletree.

Instead of screwing the buttons 3 into the swingletrees, as hereinbefore described, they may be driven into the same, as evidenced by the form of button shown at 7 in Fig. 2, wherein the shank 8 of the button 7 is provided with prongs to prevent disconnection of the button from the swingletree. The main difference between the two types of buttons is that the first one is removably connected to the swingletree, while the second one is permanently associated therewith.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that in the event of breakage of the trace connections of the ordinary type, one of my improved buttons may be readily put into service or that, if desired, old types of connections may be removed from swingletrees and my improved button associated therewith.

What is claimed is An attachment for whiflietrees consisting of a button hziy i ng a relativejiy til 11 body In testimony whereofI a portion Which has one fiat edge to form a 1n presence of t jt shoulder, the opposlte edges of the body fiix my slgnature s.

port-ion merging into said flap edge, the WILLIAM A. STINSON. 5 bottom of the body portion helng flat and Witnesses:

having a reduced centrally dlsposed secur- WARNER W'ELLs in g shank. SAM OLEARY. 

